SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Media Arts Center San Diego received a major grant to continue its mission of bringing independent cinema and arts education to the community.
The nonprofit organization, which operates the Digital Gym Cinema — the last movie theater in downtown San Diego and the last art house cinema in San Diego County — was awarded $125,000 from the Presbys Foundation.
"It's the last movie theater in downtown San Diego and the last art house cinema in the whole county of San Diego," said Ethan Van Thillo, executive director and founder of the Media Arts Center San Diego.
The center serves multiple roles in the community. While visitors come to see independent films at the Digital Gym Cinema, the organization also hosts film festivals and teaches both children and adults how to make movies and screen their projects.
"We want this young, you know, kid from the Logan Heights or Sherman Heights to see something on the big screen and then say, 'Gosh, I wanna make something like that,'" Van Thillo said.
The funding comes at a critical time for San Diego's arts community, which faces challenges from federal funding cuts and rising operational costs.
"There's federal funding cuts, there's local state funding cuts and so, for arts organizations, it's crucial to be able to continue what we do here," Van Thillo said.
The Media Arts Center San Diego is one of 61 San Diego arts and cultural organizations receiving grants from the Presbys Foundation.
"We received $125,000 to help us throughout the year and that's really gonna help keep, you know, artists employed. We were able to have and host local film festivals," Van Thillo said.
Van Thillo emphasized that the award represents more than just operational support — it's about preserving the future of art in the community.
"Arts really allows us to kind of see different worlds and really look at the human experiences that we don't always see in our own little, you know, day to day lives," Van Thillo said.
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